The Guest
I told Mom, “Hide in the bathroom. You know what to do, right?”
“Ah, yes.”
Hearing my words, Mom hurried into the bathroom and locked the door. We hadn’t just been playing around all this time. We’d trained for situations like this. There was no guarantee our hideout would stay safe forever.
“Seunghee, you take the shower room. You remember what to do, don’t you?”
Seunghee nodded with a tense expression. Her role carried a heavy burden of responsibility.
“Don’t worry. Nothing’s going to happen.”
I kissed her forehead.
“But if things go south, don’t hesitate. Got it?”
“Yes…!”
With a face full of determination, Seunghee entered the shower room and locked the door.
This was our drill for when a visitor arrived. Mom would hide in the bathroom closest to the entrance, Seunghee in the shower room right beside it. And I would handle the guest.
If we could resolve things through conversation, that was ideal. Once the visitor left, I’d give the signal for them to come out, and it would be over.
But there was always the chance conversation wouldn’t work. Like with the bastards who killed Seungpil.
If a fight broke out, I would be the one fighting. Winning would be great, but there was always the possibility I could lose.
If the opponent killed me, they’d probably check the bathroom closest to the entrance first. Mom, hiding there, would be a defenseless woman. I didn’t think they’d kill her right away.
In that case, Mom would buy time through conversation while Seunghee used the coins we’d saved to buy a gun and bullets. Then, the moment the shower room door opened, she would open fire.
Since there were only two Metapia Terminals—one with me and one with Seunghee—this was a role only Seunghee could fulfill.
“Still, it’d be best if this ends peacefully.”
I quickly changed into my combat gear and headed for the door. The taste in my mouth was bitter. My words and actions were complete opposites.
I held a pistol in one hand and propped a machete against the wall beside the door. No one would look at this and think I was trying to end things peacefully.
I chewed my lip and checked my terminal. The map showed only one external survivor. Even when I zoomed the map out as far as it would go, there were no other survivors nearby.
External survivors detected: 1
-Clank. Thud. Thud.
The door rattled again. It sounded like they were trying to force it open. There was only one opponent. But I couldn’t let my guard down. The second I opened the door, I could end up with bullet holes in my body.
It would’ve been nice if there was a peephole in the steel door. If I’d known this would happen, I would’ve installed an intercom.
“Hello? Is anyone inside? Is no one there?”
That was when the other side spoke. It was the voice of a young woman. Her pronunciation sounded a little awkward somehow.
A single young woman? In that case, maybe this wasn’t the worst possible scenario. It didn’t seem like she was part of a group here to loot us.
“Who are you?” I asked, lowering my voice. Interrogation should always be as threatening as possible. That was the iron rule I learned in the military.
“Ah, um…”
The other person seemed surprised to get a response and stammered. After waiting a moment with no further reply, I asked again.
“What do you want? Do you need something?”
Only then did the woman finally speak.
“I’m sorry. My child is sick… Could you please help us?”
“…Child?”
“Yes! A seven-year-old boy. He has a high fever and he’s unconscious. We don’t have any medicine, there’s no hospital, and I don’t know what to do…”
“……”
It was a more absurd story than I had imagined. A seven-year-old boy? They were saying a mother and such a young child had been dragged to this island? It was so ridiculous that it actually didn’t feel like a lie.
“Please! I’m begging you, help us! Please!”
The woman kept pleading. Her voice cracked with emotion as she spoke, as if she was on the verge of tears.
How was I supposed to take this? How much of what this woman said was true? What if this was a scout sent by a group of looters? If I handed over precious medicine, wouldn’t that be the same as advertising that we had plenty worth stealing?
“…Isn’t there anyone else nearby you can ask for help?”
“There isn’t! There’s no one! This is the first time I’ve met another person since coming here!”
The woman’s voice sounded genuinely desperate. If this was acting, she was a professional. Still, there was no solid evidence to believe her words at face value.
For the sake of our safety… Hmm. What should I do…
…For some reason, this didn’t feel like someone else’s story. A mother asking for help because her son was sick. It somehow overlapped with the image of Mom worrying about me when I was hurt.
…Was Mom listening to this right now? If I just sent her away, she would definitely be sad.
“Haa…”
I made up my mind.
“Listen carefully. Take ten steps back from the door, turn around, and raise both hands. If you have any weapons, put them on the ground.”
“Yes. Ten steps from the door, turn around, weapons on the ground.”
“If you don’t do exactly as I say, we can’t help you.”
“Yes. I understand. I’ll do exactly as you say.”
The woman, who had swallowed her tears, answered in a slightly calmer voice. It was a relief that she was someone I could communicate with.
I checked her position using the terminal. She had moved exactly ten steps back from the door like I instructed. At that distance, there was no risk of suddenly getting shot through the door crack.
-Click.
I released the lock and opened the door just a crack. Using Mom’s hand mirror through the gap, I checked outside. There was a woman. A woman standing with her back turned and both hands raised. No one else was there.
Judging it safe, I opened the door fully and stepped outside. I kept the pistol in my hand trained on her.
“Don’t turn around. Unless you want to get shot.”
I warned her first. The woman’s back flinched.
“……”
When I stepped outside and saw her in person, I was stunned. First of all, the woman was tall. Probably taller than me. She had to be at least 190 centimeters. And she had natural-looking blonde hair. Even from behind, it was obvious she was a foreigner.
“Foreigner?”
“I’m American, but I’m Korean.”
That confusing answer came back. …Did she mean she was naturalized? That explained why her speech sounded a bit awkward.
“The blood on your clothes?”
“Ah.”
She was wearing jeans and a short-sleeved shirt. But the left leg of her jeans was soaked in blood. It looked horrific.
“This is my blood!”
The woman quickly explained, as if she had expected me to be suspicious. It was indeed suspicious. A woman covered in blood. If this were outside, I would have called the police immediately.
“On the way here… I was bitten by a hyena. A spotted hyena. This blood came from that wound. Please believe me.”
So that’s what bit her leg. I’d been bitten by one too, but it wasn’t something you could just say “I was bitten” and brush off. She was lucky to be alive.
A quick glance showed a trident-like weapon lying on the ground. Had she hunted the hyena with that? Honestly, before seeing her in person, I had doubted how a woman could wander around alone in a place like this. But seeing her height and build, it didn’t seem entirely impossible.
This was the first time I’d ever seen a woman bigger than me. She must have done some kind of sport outside.
“Stay still and wait. Don’t turn around.”
“…Yes.”
I operated my terminal and searched for a high-grade healing medicine. The same one Seunghee and I had taken before.
Really purchase? (Y/N)
In an instant, 400 coins vanished and two medicine bottles appeared. It was quite a lot of coins. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t hurt. But… I thought that if I could help, I should. As long as it didn’t threaten our own livelihood. One day, we might be the ones needing help. And above all, Mom would have helped.
“…Listen while staying like that. I’m going to leave two medicine bottles in front of the door.”
“Ah! Thank you! Thank you so much!”
“Once I go back inside and the door closes, you can take them. Don’t move until then.”
“Ah, understood.”
“Give one to your son and take the other yourself. It works the same for illness or injury.”
“Ah… I…”
“To protect your son, you need to stay healthy. These medicines lose their effect after seven days anyway, so you won’t be able to use them later. So drink it right here, right now.”
“Thank you. I will definitely repay this kindness…”
-Clang.
I closed the door and went back inside the hideout.
“Whew.”
I holstered the gun. The tension finally left my shoulders.
…Did I do the right thing? I think I did, right?
“Thank you! I will definitely repay this kindness!”
I could hear her shouting her thanks from outside. So loud. Was she planning to spread the news to the whole neighborhood?
I checked the map on my terminal. The woman was gradually moving farther away from our hideout.
…What should I do? Should I follow her?
“Mom, Seunghee, you can come out now.”
At my words, the two of them cautiously poked their heads out.
“Did she leave?”
“Yes, Mom. It was fine. I’m going to head out for a bit.”
I spoke while hurriedly gathering my outdoor gear. It had been a while since I last went outside.
“You’re going out? Where?” Mom asked, sounding worried.
I put on my field jacket and gloves.
“I need to check whether that woman really came because her son is sick, or if she was scouting us.”
Since my terminal had leveled up, the range I could check on the map had nearly doubled. That meant I could track her without being detected, even if she was looking at her own terminal. Of course, if she had the same level, it would be pointless, but that was unlikely.
“…Do you really have to go?”
“Yes. Don’t worry too much. I’ll be back soon.”
When I gently hugged Mom, she hugged me back tightly, as if I were being deployed to war.
“Okay. Come back quickly.”
Seunghee was watching us from the side with strangely sad eyes.
“Want a hug too, Seunghee?”
When I asked, Seunghee answered by hugging me tightly instead of speaking.
“I’ll be waiting too, oppa.”
“Good. If I come back and you’re making that pouty face, you’re getting scolded.”
“Hiiing.”
Seunghee hid her anxiety behind a smile.
I had my combat uniform, combat boots, machete, and pistol. Preparations were complete.
“You absolutely cannot get hurt.”
After receiving their farewells, I left the hideout.
-Clang.
The hideout door locked behind me. After confirming the woman’s location on my terminal, I began my pursuit.